Posts Tagged ‘corporations’

I bet you met at least one person who kept saying that corporations are bad. Almost pure evil! We all heard that so many times that it became a slogan. So we all know they’re bad but it really means nothing now. At the end of day we keep buying from them and we even keep working for them. Some of us don’t give a damn about it, some of us have no choice and some of us like it. There are even people who think Tesco is great because they sell cheap veggies! Well, cheap prices have its price. If you ever wondered what the hell is all about here’s a thing for you. A must-see documentary, a classic you’d say.

The Corporation explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time. Part film and part movement. The Corporation is transforming audiences and dazzling critics with its insightful and compelling analysis. Taking its status as a legal “person” to the logical conclusion, the film puts the corporation on the psychiatrist’s couch to ask “What kind of person is it?” The Corporation includes interviews with 40 corporate insiders and critics – including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman, Howard Zinn, Vandana Shiva and Michael Moore – plus true confessions, case studies and strategies for change. The film looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance.

We will be screening The Pipe movie on 20th April at The Happy Pear in Greystones. This amazing movie tells the story of the local, grassroots community effort in Rossport, County Mayo (Ireland) to halt the planned laying of a gas pipeline by Shell Oil, across fishing grounds and pastoral farmland, following the discovery of a large supply field offshore.

Shell Oil, with the taciturn approval of the Irish State government, had planned to begin the laying of the pipeline underwater, off the Mayo coast. The proposed pipeline would then snake over working farms and pristine landscape for miles to its destination. The local community, fearing loss of livelihood, environmental disasters, non-transparent corporate profits and the invoking of “eminent domain”, rose up in non-violent rebellion.

The Pipe is a story of a community tragically divided, and how they deal with a pipe that could bring economic prosperity or destruction of a way of life shared for generations.

The film received a huge interest in The Pipe in Ireland and abroad. For example The Pipe’s Facebook page has already gained over 3,000 fans.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a solidarity demonstration with the imprisoned activist Shell to Sea campaign, Pat O’Donnell, who is another victim of government and financial elites repression. Conflict with Shell (which is not enough that is responsible for destroying the environment, so that feeds millions of euros, which receives from the Irish Government, when at the same time the country is sinking because of the crisis and the scale of unemployment) has lasted a decade. I do not want to describe the entire course of the conflict, which can be briefly described as a perfect example of corruption, political links with corporations, repression, ignorance of alternatives and the public. In all this turmoil you can find everything we associate with the rapacity of corporations and political degeneration.

It is important that all this is not happening already in Third World countries, but in the heart of the neoliberal world. As a reminder, as a typical Shell oil company is even responsible for stoking the murder of nine activists in Nigeria, who protested against his presence in the Niger Delta, where he destroyed a Nigerian tribal land. The activists were hanged, and after several years of Shell’s graciously agreed to take out of guilt by paying 15.5 million dollars. Shell’s policy in Ireland is also saturated with repression against opponents, subject to regular operations against key figures of the Shell To Sea campaign. Naturally Shell can always count on the support of police and courts, bravely defending their interests against peaceful activists putting them in prison with absurd reasons (eg, disorder, or interfering with the Garda in the performance of duties). In addition, to protect its facilities Shell employs mercenaries, ex-special forces soldiers. Of course, their presence has nothing to do with the sinking boat by Pat O’Donnell for four armed and masked men, 11 June 2009.

Western society often feel quite safe, thinking that people are subjected to repression in such exotic areas as Tibet, Peru, Mexico and Nigeria. They deceive themselves that Western police defend the interests of the people and not corrupted rich, they naively believe that Western courts are independent and that there is democracy and freedom of speech in Europe. Well, nothing more wrong. Anyone who would oppose the destructive plans of corporations and the interests of political elites will be subjected to oppression and intimidation, anyone who will think and live differently can be branded. The Shell To Sea activists fate (imprisoned many times) is the best proof. So let’s remind everyone that the expensive suit does not make anyone a better type of criminal.